Tendulkar Hits First 200 In ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score a double century in One-Day Internationals, accomplishing the feat in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Gwalior on Wednesday.

The master batsman, who holds the record for most runs and centuries in Test (13,447) and one-day (17,398) cricket, scored 200 not out off 147 balls as India amassed 401-3 in 50 overs.

His previous best was an unbeaten 186 against New Zealand, at Hyderabad, in 1999.

Tendulkar, who registered his 46th ODI century in the process, got to 200 with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over of the game, having earlier broken the World record for the highest individual innings, of 194, jointly held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry.

Anwar rattled up that total against India in May 1997 while Coventry hit 194 not out against Bangladesh last year.

Join us in congratulating the Indian ace on becoming the first man to breach the 200-run mark in 39 years of One-Day Internationals, since its inception in 1971.

Nasser Hussain: Tendulkar Better Than Even Bradman

Former England captain Nasser Hussain is convinced that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, better than even the iconic Don Bradman.

“I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday’s incredible game it must be said – Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time,” Hussain wrote in his column for ‘The Daily Mail’.

Tendulkar became the first batsman to crack a double century in the four-decade-long history of one day cricket against South Africa on Wednesday and Hussain felt that should settle the debate on who is the greatest batsman ever.

“Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, the other two great players of my era. Better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. And I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself,” wrote the Chennai-born English cricketer of Indian origin.

Hussain said Tendulkar has somehow managed to retain his early enthusiasm even after two decades of international cricket which he found incredible.

“I played against Tendulkar on my first England tour, the Nehru Cup in India in 1989, and I could still see that excited boy in big pads in Gwalior,” said Hussain, who once resorted to negative tactics and asked spinner Ashley Giles to bowl way outside off-stumps to curb the Indian,” he said.

“That extraordinary drive and enthusiasm are what make Tendulkar so special. He has been playing international cricket for 20 years under the intense scrutiny being an Indian superstar brings, so it is remarkable he still loves holding a bat as much as ever,” Hussain said.

Looking at Tendulkar’s illustrious career, Hussain said guiding the Indian team to 2011 World Cup victory with his broad bat would perhaps give a sense of fulfilment.

“What else is left for Tendulkar now? Well, it is sometimes said that he has not played enough match-winning innings on the really big occasion for India.

“What better, then, than to score a hundred in the World Cup final against Australia ¿ or maybe even England – on home soil this time next year,” he said.

“That would be the full stop that would enable Tendulkar to ride off into the sunset with everything achieved in his career,” said the Englishman.

Doffing his hat to Tendulkar and referring to maverick soccer coach Jose Maurinho’s famous moniker, Hussain said, “My admiration for him is total. To steal the nickname of a certain football coach who led Inter Milan against Chelsea on Wednesday, Sachin Tendulkar truly is The Special One.”

Beware Sachin Tendulkar Ricky Ponting Is Snapping At Your Heels

Beware Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting is snapping at your heels. The prolific Australian skipper, who has been in tremendous form,

went past 12,000 ODI runs during the match-winning 28th ton in the Champions Trophy semi-final against England.

He followed it up by hinting he remained the only one to pose a serious threat to Sachin’s records. “He (Sachin) has set a benchmark for guys like me to chase him and get as close as we can,” said Ponting.

Top batsmen are fiercely possessive about personal milestones and Tendulkar, who will compete 20 years of international cricket next month, currently sits atop the Test and One-day International batting charts. Can Punter, who is already 34 and made his debut nearly six years after Sachin, shave off even one of these benchmarks?

In the ODI stakes, it looks impossible. Ponting is currently third in the list of all-time run-getters list and edging closer to No.2 spot.

Tendulkar, though, has left others far behind with 16,903 runs and 44 hundreds. Behind him lies Sanath Jayasuriya, with 13,377 runs and 28 tons.

Ponting can surely catch up with the maverick Sri Lankan opener: the Aussie skipper now has 28 tons, with 12,043 runs. Punter might go past Jayasuriya but is unlikely to give Sachin sleepless nights. Interestingly, Ponting has played the least number of matches among all three, and is unlikely to play till 40 like Jayasuriya has.

It is in Test matches that Ponting could, theoretically, challenge Tendulkar. Here too he is third, behind Brian Lara. But Ponting has the highest average of the three: 55.88 compared to Sachin’s 54.58 and Lara’s 52.88. Sachin has 42 tons and 12,773 runs and Ponting is likely to go past Lara’s 11,953. He already has more centuries, 38 to Lara’s 34. Sachin has given himself two more years, till the 2011 World Cup, and if Ponting outlasts him on the international stage he could easily breach the 42-ton barrier.

How Ponting will be wishing he could play on as long as Sachin has. Paying rich tribute to Tendulkar for completing 20 years as an India batsman, Ponting said: “If I had to last 20 years, I would probably be batting in a wheelchair. The number of innings of his I have been able to sit back and watch, I think he is an amazing player. Look at his stats and his records and it’s quite incredible for someone to have stayed in the game for 20 years.”

Currently, the odds seem stacked against Ponting. Though both batsmen have had their share of injuries, Ponting’s additional burden of captaining a team in transition has resulted in his Test average dropping sharply in the last two years. However, both he and Sachin have scored five tons in the same period.

Ponting knows if he sticks around longer than Tendulkar, he could edge past his Test runs or centuries record. Ironically, the biggest hindrance is not the fear of injury but Australia’s selection policy. Unlike Indians, Aussies don’t lay too much stress on personal milestones. Captains lose their place in the team if they lose the top job and chances are, like Steve Waugh, Ponting will be asked to step down in the limited-overs version first.

In Tests, will be allowed to bat on till he is, say, 37 or 38? If he isn’t, the debate will shift gears to who was the more effective big-match player. Any bets on that one?

Wasim Akram: Tendulkar Is Only Improving With Age

Impressed with Sachin Tendulkar’s match-winning 44th century against Sri Lanka at the Compaq Cup final, former Pakistan captain and pace legend Wasim Akram said the Indian batting maestro is like a vintage wine who is only getting better with age.
“He is improving with age. He is becoming greater with time. I don’t know when he will stop playing cricket. He is just amazing. At the end of his career, Sachin would set all the possible batting records,” Akram told espnstar.com.

Tendulkar scored a classy 138 yesterday against Sri Lanka at the sultry Colombo conditions to help India register a convincing 46-run win and lift the title.

The 36-year-old mesmerised the ground with his classy strokeplay as he smashed 10 fours and a six in his 133-ball innings to set the platform for the win.

“It was Sachin’s knock that won the game for India. Sachin was superb in his strokeplay and even though there were useful contributions from (Rahul) Dravid, (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni and Yuvraj (Singh), it was a total Sachin show,” Akram said.

Incidentally, suffering from cramps at the fag end of his innings, it was for the first time in his one-day career that Tendulkar called for a runner (Dravid).

Sachin: Hard To Imagine Life Without Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar is on the verge of history. Not many cricketers can dream of playing two decades in international cricket. Graham Gooch was the last to do so. Now the Mumbai batsman will join that elite list when he completes 20 years of international cricket in November.

Who can forget the baby-faced Tendulkar starting his career as a 16-year-old against the Pakistani pace battery — comprising the legendary Imran Khan , Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis — and coming out with flying colours.

The ace batsman, who is currently the highest run-getter in Tests (12,773 runs — 42 hundreds — in 159 matches) and One-Day Internationals (16,684 runs — 43 hundreds — in 425 matches) still vividly remembers what spurred him to such a long career.

“I remember during my first international tour, to Pakistan, Kapil Dev had challenged me to play at least 10 years for the country and I am glad that I have doubled that. I am quite pleased with what I have achieved so far.

“It is a great feeling to complete 20 years in international cricket. It was always a dream to play for the country; didn’t think when I started that I would play for so long,” said Tendulkar at a function to launch adidas’s range of cricketing equipment in India.

Despite giving his all to the sport in the last 20 years, it is hard to see the 36-year-old hanging his gloves anytime soon.

“Cricket is an integral part of my life and it is hard to imagine life without cricket,” he asserted.

Tendulkar also admitted that he is very fussy when it comes to the cricketing gear he uses.

“I am very particular about bats, about pads, about gloves and about shoes. I can get fussy to a certain extent because I want to get everything right. Cricket is so important for me that I cannot compromise on anything and this has been my habit right from my early days.”

Asked how he decides on which is the best bat for him by just knocking the middle of the blade, he replied: “The bat speaks to me and that is how I can make out whether it is a good bat or not.”

Over the years, Tendulkar was laid low many a time with injuries, which some expert believe was due to the weight of the heavy bat he uses. But the batting ace differs, and with good reason at that.

“I have spoken to specialists who believe that if I use a lighter bat it will have more impact on my elbow. I have tried using lighter bats but it didn’t work, maybe because it didn’t have a similar bat swing,” he said.

Adidas has introduced cricket bats, balls, protective gear, including gloves, pads, helmets and other accessories which will be priced between Rs 549 and Rs 13,999. The hardware products have undergone high-performance evaluations with the England and Wales Cricket Board at the Loughborough University’s Performance Training Centre.